


One Brother Left

by CaptainAim



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, aftermath of the exile arc, ao3 make the dream smp characters separate from their creators challenge, sleepy bois inc - Freeform, this is about the rp characters not the actual people, tommy is fucked up and techno tries his best to help, tw for suicide/suicidal thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:42:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainAim/pseuds/CaptainAim
Summary: Technoblade was a warrior, a fighter, a weapon. He always had been. But to his family, he was a protector, the man who would keep them all safe from harm, no matter the cost. But what happens when he realizes just how much Tommy has been hurt during his exile?
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit & Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & Wilbur Soot
Comments: 7
Kudos: 592





	One Brother Left

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after the Dec. 16 stream, and is about the roleplay characters, not the actual creators!

It'd been almost a week since Technoblade had found his younger brother living under his house like a raccoon with criminal tendencies. In that week, Techno had had more social interaction than he'd had since he retired, as Tommy took every opportunity to talk about literally anything that was on his mind. Techno complained, but in truth, he enjoyed how much more lively his snowy cottage had become. The constant stream of noise and movement reminded him of their family home, of the years spent squeezed in a small house with his brothers and dad, where whenever Techno needed company he could find someone to ramble on while he sat quietly and listened. 

Techno wasn't ignorant, he knew Tommy was different after his exile. There were times when Tommy would stop talking and stare off into the distance with a silence that weighed heavily on both their shoulders. Stealing Techno's things wasn't exactly a new development, but now it was accompanied by a protectiveness, as Tommy would hide his stolen items in some hidden chest buried deep underground and look at Techno with a newfound distain when he suggested just putting them in the chests next to his bed. And there were many times, late at night, that Techno would hear muffled crying coming from his basement.

Not that Techno ever did anything about it. Tommy avoided the topic like a rotten plague, and Techno was never one for emotions - that had always been Wilbur's job. Ghostbur was still around, of course. He'd visited a few times, once to grieve about his lost sheep and twice to bring news and reassurance from Phil, who was still stuck in L'Manburg. Every time he'd visit, he'd bring his blue, and he always gave a generous amount to Tommy, who'd thank him in a shaking voice that Techno pretended not to hear. Unfortunately for the young boy, Ghostbur would run away the second Tommy would start to talk about anything serious, making up some excuse about Phil or some book, leaving Techno and Tommy behind in an awkward silence. Techno would then always make up some chore that needed to be done, and Tommy would complain about having to do work, and they'd get back to their normal day-to-day routine. But that didn't stop Techno from feeling guilty whenever his younger brother trailed off mid-sentence to stare at something out of sight over the horizon. 

////

The first time Techno realized how bad it really was had been an accident. Techno had come back from chopping down trees to find Tommy once again rooting through his supplies. No matter how many times he told his brother that their supplies were shared now, and that he should really just leave the things in the neatly organized chests, Tommy would always find some items to squirrel away in his raccoon den. Techno didn't mind, it was something you just had to deal with when you lived with Tommy, and he'd had plenty of experience growing up of chasing Tommy away from whatever valuables caught his eyes. He had grinned when Tommy met his eyes and ran out of the house with an excited shriek, had laid his weapons down in the house before giving chase, and laughed as Tommy struggled to run through the knee-deep snow.

"There's no point in runnin'," Techno chuckled as he caught up to the boy. "Might as well just give up now."

Tommy laughed and attempted to run faster, only to run into a deep snowdrift and fall face-first into the ground. Techno carefully stepped into the snowdrift, testing how deep it went before picking up his brother and throwing him into the center, effectively burying the boy in powdery snow.

"Give me my things, Tommy!" he said, punching Tommy's arm. It was a less of a punch and more of a hard push, designed more to annoy the boy than cause any actual harm. Given all the time in their childhood that Techno spent whacking his siblings over the head with wooden swords, he'd expected Tommy to bounce back up with his usual vigor, to come at him with flailing limbs and curses that he'd dodge with ease. But instead, Tommy curled up into a fetal position, backing himself further into the snow.

"Sorry! Sorry, I-" Tommy stuttered, backing away and starting to dig a small hole in the ground. "I'll- I'm sorry. Please- Sorry. Here, I'll-"

Techno watched in silent horror as the boy started emptying his pockets into the hole, hands shaking and still apologizing profusely in a quiet voice that sounded so unlike Tommy's normal brash tone. Tommy loosened the straps on his new armor, which already had a few dents on it from mob attacks that he had failed to dodge, and tossed those into the hole as well.

"Tommy?" Techno asked quietly, as Tommy, still apologizing, backed away, looking down at the ground rather that up towards his brother. "Tommy, I- Tommy, you can keep those. It's fine, they're your things."

Tommy finally looked up at him, and something seemed to click in his brain as he started to quietly laugh.

"Right! Right, 'course I can! They're my things, you can't- you couldn't take them, 'cause they're mine. And I got them. Legitimately. Not from any chests," he laughed, and started to pick his things up out of the hole and back into his pockets. But Techno noticed how much his hands were still shaking, and how his voice still had a scarily soft tone. He couldn't bring himself to say anything as the boy picked himself up and dusted off the snow from his cloak.

"See you inside, Big T," Tommy said, and scampered off to the cottage, leaving Techno behind to stare at him with confusion. He was used to Tommy's antics, had gotten skilled at predicting when might be a bit too much, and was well-aware of the fact that being much bigger and stronger than his brother meant that he had to scale down his attacks and try to keep the threatening monologues to a minimum. But whatever had happened there with Tommy was something he hadn't seen before. If Techno was any less of a realist, he'd say that Tommy's eyes had almost dimmed, glossed over with fear and resignation.

Tommy didn't bring up what had happened later, and Techno didn't ask. That didn't stop him from worrying. By the end of the day, he had half a mind to go sneak into L'Manburg to ask Phil for advice. He decided against it, eventually, reasoning that the risk of him getting caught and Phil taking the blame was too high, but he resolved that next time he talked to his father he'd ask him about it.

////

The second time it happened was after Ghostbur told them the news of Tommy's funeral. The ghost was obviously distressed, wringing his hands and pulling at his sweater as he told them about Tubbo's plan, and how the young president was mourning the death of his best friend. Techno listened in silence, not wanting to interrupt his brother, even though he didn't really care that much about Tubbo. Tommy, on the other hand, definitely did.

As soon as Ghostbur finished his story, Tommy stood up, shaking violently. Techno rose up to meet him, ready to stop him if the boy decided to do something stupid. But instead of running to the door like he feared, Tommy scampered down the ladder and to his underground den, leaving Techno alone with the very upset ghost.

"-and I tried to tell him that Tommy was fine! And that I just saw him! But then Tubbo yelled at me," Ghostbur continued. "I don't like it when people yell at me. And then Phil told me to go with him, and that it was best if the rest of them thought Tommy was dead. But they were all so upset! Why would Phil want them to be upset?"

Techno looked at his dismayed twin, looking up at him with sad, nearly transparent eyes, and couldn't help but remember all the times, as a child, he'd wake up to Wilbur crawling into his bed, crying after a nightmare. He'd always move over, reluctantly allowing Wilbur to cuddle in next to him. Often, Phil would come in a few minutes later, cradling both of the boys in his wings and singing a soft lullaby. Techno would always complain the next day, protesting that he could "hardly get any sleep with the two of you taking up my whole bed," but no one believed him. He was glad they didn't.

"Tell you what, W- Ghostbur," he said finally. "One day, soon, we can show them all that Tommy is alive. We'll do it together, as a family. But right now Tommy needs to stay hidden."

"Okay!" said Ghostbur, and Techno breathed a sigh of relief. Ghostbur was much easier to comfort that Wilbur had been, choosing to ignore any bad news rather than dwell on it. Something nagged in the back of Techno's brain, telling him that this wasn't his twin anymore, and that one day he'd need to accept that the Wilbur he knew was gone. He ignored the voice.

"I'm gonna go back to Phil now," Ghostbur added, glancing down at the basement where they could hear Tommy's quiet crying. "Bye Technoblade!"

Techno waved at the ghost, a million thoughts vying for his attention. He knew Tommy was upset, he had every right to be. His best friend thought he was _dead,_ after all. But something told him that it was a bit more complicated, that there was a bit of the story that he was missing. Regardless, now that Ghostbur was gone, he knew he'd have to make some sort of attempt to comfort his youngest brother. So he made his way down the ladder into Tommy's room, looking at the small boy curled into the corner, racked with sobs, and felt a slight pang of guilt at not coming down earlier. He sat at the end of Tommy's bed and watched the boy silently, unsure of what to say.

"It's not permanent," Techno finally got out. "You aren't actually dead. And one day Tubbo will see that." He remembered his vault of wither skulls, and his heart sank a little more as he recalled all the times he boasted about how much destruction they'd cause, and how every time, Tommy would jump to Tubbo's defense. Maybe he'd try and back down a bit with the anarchy and destruction stuff for the next few days.

"I know," Tommy sniffled. "But I- This is my fault. He thinks I'm dead because what I've-" Tommy cut himself off, looking up at his older brother with tear-streaked cheeks.

"Wh- Tommy, it's not your fault. He just saw the explosions and assumed the worst, right? Which means if Tubbo's gonna blame anyone, it'll be Dream." 

"No, I-" sobbed Tommy, shaking uncontrollably. "He's gonna see my tower and he's gonna- he's gonna think it was me. It was my fault."

Techno's mind raced, trying to keep up with all the information dumped on him. Ghostbur hadn't said anything about a tower when he'd described the destruction of Logstedshire. And he was fairly certain he hadn't seen one on any of his visits either. There wasn't any need for a tower, anyway - Logstedshire wasn't exactly a military camp, and Techno doubted defense would be something Tommy would keep in mind when building. So why would he build a tower? And why would Tubbo-

_Oh._

"Tommy, did you-" The words died on Techno's lips as he stared at his little brother in shock.

"I was- I almost-" Tommy stuttered. "I thought- I realized, when I was up there, that I didn't need to. I did jump-" Techno's knuckles whitened as he grabbed onto the bedsheets, "-but it was into water. And then- and then I ran. To here."

Techno just looked at him for another minute, then scooped the small boy up into his arms, his large frame almost completely engulfing the boy. Tommy buried his face in Techno's tunic and sobbed violently, tears quickly soaking through the thick fabric. Techno could feel a few tears threatening to spill from his own eyes, but for once, he didn't really care.

"Oh Tommy," he said quietly, after they had both calmed down slightly. "We'll fix this, alright? We'll go back, soon, and you can see Tubbo. For now- Right now, Tommy, no more towers, alright? Can you promise me that?"

Tommy nodded, silently curling closer against the larger man. "No more towers."

////

The third time was by far the scariest. Techno was alone in his house, sorting through his chests and trying to arrange some of the mess that Tommy had made, when he heard a knock on the door. He froze, running through the list of people who could possibly have found him. Phil and Ghostbur, obviously, but both of them would have come in after knocking, introducing themselves with their usual charm. Tommy, of course, wouldn't have bothered with knocking, and come barreling through with some loud announcement about how many rabbits he'd killed. The Butcher Army knew where he lived now, which was a slight problem, but Techno doubted they would just knock on his door if they came back. Maybe Ranboo, he reasoned, the kid seemed polite enough to knock. Still, Techno checked to make sure his sword was still secure on his belt before going to answer the door.

"Hello Technoblade," said the man standing outside, face obscured by a sinister smiling mask. "Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure thing." Techno moved back from the door, allowing Dream to push his way inside and thanking whatever gods were out there that he chose today to send Tommy out to collect scutes from their turtle farm. Hopefully the boy would have enough common sense to hide if he came back and heard Dream's voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, not much," said Dream, maneuvering around Edward to have a seat by the fire. "I just wanted to check on a couple things."

Alarm bells went off in Techno's head. He'd made his house in an Antarctic wasteland for a reason, no one just came to check up on him. Especially not Dream.

"What kind of things?" he asked, hiding his nervousness behind his normal low drawl.

"Well, Tommy's funeral was yesterday, and you didn't show up. I would have thought that at least his family would show up, if not all his friends."

"I don't know if you've noticed, Dream, but I'm kinda banned from L'Manburg," replied Techno. "Last time they saw me, they tried to kill me. Several times, actually."

"Fair enough. To tell the truth, that was my first thought too. But I couldn't help that notice that a certain ghost kept insisting that Tommy was alive. And hiding with you, of all people."

Techno made up his mind that next time Ghostbur visited, he would lock all the doors and force the spirit to have a serious talk about what it means to keep a secret.

"Now, I trust you, Techno," Dream continued. "We've been allies. I was the one who saved your life at that execution, remember. And I trust that you would be loyal to me in return."

"Of course," lied Techno.

"Of course! That's all, then." Dream stood up, and made his way to the door, and Techno could hear him smile under the mask. "Just wanted to make sure."

After glancing quickly out the window to make sure Tommy wasn't just standing somewhere exposed, Techno opened the door for his guest. "Well, thanks for visitin'."

"I'll see you around." It sounded more like a threat than a goodbye.

Once he was sure Dream was properly gone, Techno let out a loud sigh of relief. He'd known that sooner or later, Dream would come looking, and that the masked man wouldn't be as easily fooled by Tommy's death as Tubbo was. But he'd really hoped it would take a little bit longer to get to this.

It wasn't as if Techno was that scared. Dream was powerful, sure, but so was he. And if it came down to it, Techno was confident in his abilities, and was fairly certain that he'd be able to beat the man in a fight, god or not. Unfortunately, it wasn't only his own safety that he had to be worried about. Techno still wasn't quite sure of what all had happened in Logstedshire, and Tommy certainly wasn't going to tell him. But whatever Dream had done to drive his little brother to make that tower, to _jump-_

That green bastard was lucky his limbs were still attached to his body.

Luckily, Dream seemed to be done for today, and Techno wasn't going to run brashly after him. Instead, he busied himself with brewing more potions and repairing his armor, determined to make his cottage the safest place possible for Tommy. But as the hours ticked by, Techno couldn't help but get more and more worried as Tommy failed to reappear from the turtle farm.

Surely he would have noticed if Dream had seen Tommy, he reasoned with himself. Surely Tommy would have screamed, and fought back, and yelled obscenities. There was no way his loud, brash younger brother would have just accepted his fate and gone with Dream.

Right?

Techno slammed down the lid to his chest and grabbed his cloak. "Damn that kid," he whispered under his breath as he gathered his things and headed outside, hoping desperately that Tommy had just gotten into a scrape with some skeletons, or fell down a hole, or decided to do something dumb like climb a tree and get stuck in its branches. But sure enough, the turtle farm was deserted, save for Toby and the other turtles mindlessly roaming around their small habitat.

"Tommy?" Techno called, raising his voice. If Dream was still around hiding somewhere, he'd definitely hear, but Techno decided it was worth the risk. "Tommy, where are you?"

There was no reply, and Techno felt a deep fear start to crawl into his bones. Not a fear that he felt during a fight, or when his own life was in danger, but a fear he felt when he saw Quackity holding a sword to his beloved steed, a fear he felt when he saw a baby zombie run at breakneck speed towards Phil, a fear he felt when he saw Wilbur's crazed, insane eyes as he told Techno about how he'd go down with his country. A fear he felt now as he realized that Tommy was gone, was at the mercy of a man who had already broken the boy beyond repair. 

"Tommy!" Techno turned back towards his house and broke into a run, running through his head all the places Dream might have taken Tommy. L'Manburg, maybe? Techno doubted it, but at least Phil was there, Phil could help. Or maybe Dream had taken him to the Badlands, or the remains of Pogtopia. Or, maybe, if he was being cruel, he'd take Tommy to Logstedshire, to the remains of his exile, to the place he'd first been broken.

Seething with rage, Techno grabbed Carl's reigns and jumped onto the horse's back, ignoring the arrow that whizzed by from a nearby skeleton. He'd go to Logstedshire, he decided, and then if Tommy wasn't there, he'd go to L'Manburg and talk to Phil; Butcher's Army be damned. He set Carl off at a reckless pace, racing through the flat tundra and scanning every corner, searching for any cave or hole that Tommy could be hiding in.

It didn't take him long to reach Logstedshire, but in that time, the consistent pounding of Carl's footsteps was drowned out by loud rolls of thunder, and the pouring rain came down in sheets around Techno, obscuring his vision. His thick winter clothes prevented him from getting soaked, but his long pink hair was quickly turned from an elegant braid to a knotted mess that whipped around his face with every step. As the first few wooden structures came into sight, Techno slid off Carl and took up his reigns, tying them to a nearby tree before unsheathing his sword and running towards the central camp.

It was the first time Techno had visited since Dream blew everything up, and he quickly realized that Ghostbur's descriptions weren't overexaggerated. Every structure that Tommy had pieced together had been blown to splinters, and Techno had to concentrate to make sure he didn't slip and fall in any of the craters that dotted the landscape. Logs were haphazardly thrown everywhere, and most were scorched and blackened as the result of the many explosions. The telltale scent of gunpowder hung in the air, undeterred by the powerful rain.

"Tommy?" Techno called out, making his way towards the main campsite. Ghostbur had told him in detail about this explosion, lamenting about the remains of his house and barrels, but that didn't stop Techno from gasping in shock when he saw the crater. It was nowhere near the size of the one under L'Manburg, but it almost looked sadder, the once-strong wooden walls gone and replaced with rubble, the crumbling remains of Ghostbur's house slumped sadly in one corner. Debris was scattered everywhere, no doubt the result of Dream destroying Tommy's hidden chests and Ghostbur's barrels. But what caught Techno's attention most was the long, thin shadow that lay across it, cast by a tall wooden structure that rose high above the nearby hill.

The tower.

Techno felt his heart drop to his feet as he looked up at Tommy's build. It was high, so high, towering above the rainclouds and out of sight. The structure itself was a mess, hastily constructed using what appeared to be the remains of Logstedshire, held together with rough pieces of string and the sheer force of luck. There was no way up, no ladder or vines to assist, and Techno doubted even the most skilled of climbers could get up without the tower crumbling in on itself. It was designed for one use, said a voice in the back of his head bitterly. For the first time since the Festival, Techno felt sympathy for Tubbo, felt the same horror that the young president must have felt when he looked up at the tower and came to the horrible, inevitable conclusion. And another thought entered Techno's brain, a dreadful thought that he hadn't dared to think earlier.

What if he was too late?

What if there was another tower, somewhere, that Dream had forced Tommy to build? Or that Tommy had just decided to build, resigning himself to his death?

"TOMMY?" Techno called out again, his voice cracking horribly. He tore his eyes away from the tower, scanning the horizon frantically, looking for any tall silhouettes that stood out against the clouds, and noticed something else, nearly hidden from sight by the sloping curve of the hill. Tommy's beach, the only thing in Logstedshire still standing, still decorated with hastily-made chairs and tables and a single, sad umbrella. And in front of the beach, waist deep in the water, was a small figure.

"Tommy!" Techno took off running, ignoring the mud that splashed up on his clothes and splattered his otherwise pristine winter coat. To his relief, Dream was nowhere in sight. But as he drew closer, he realized the boy was inching ever-so-slowly farther into the water, away from the shore, eyes fixed on the waves beneath him, and Techno's heart dropped even farther. "Tommy!"

Tommy finally, _finally_ heard the older man, and halted his decent, but didn't turn around or make eye contact as Techno dove into the water nearby. As Techno approached his brother, he realized with a dawning horror that Tommy wasn't wearing his winter cloak, or even his normal red and white shirt. Instead, the boy was clad in a brown, ratty, all-to-familiar trenchcoat.

Techno nearly recoiled in shock as he remembered the last time he had seen the coat, the last time he had been too late to save his brother. How he had ignored the worrying route his twin had gone down for the sake of chaos; how he had failed to convince him to take the armor, to wear something, anything. How he had stared, in horror, from the shadows, as a broken Wilbur gave his sword to an equally horrified Phil; how he wished he could have torn his eyes away from Phil, his own father, stabbing his sword through Wilbur's chest. How he had avoided Phil's eyes after the battle; how they quietly buried Wilbur's broken body together; how, most days, he couldn't bring himself to look Ghostbur in the eyes, wishing desperately that he had done something earlier to save his brother.

And here was his other brother, just as broken, wearing the same damned coat. He was too late again, always too late, his brothers were dead because he couldn't save them in time, he was the strongest man on the server but he couldn't save his own brothers-

No.

Tommy wasn't gone yet, he was still stood there, in the water, looking even smaller than normal in his brother's coat, staring off into the distance, shaking from the cold and god knows what else. Techno wasn't too late, he realized, scooping the small boy up in his arms and carrying him back to shore, taking off his own cloak to drape around the shivering boy before wrapping his arms around his brother in a bone-crushing hug.

Tommy didn't say anything for a long time, and neither did Techno. Instead, they just stood on the beach, embracing each other as the pouring rain began to slow down around them.

"'M sorry," Tommy eventually mumbled. "I didn't mean- I just heard Dream's voice. In your house. And I got scared, and ran, and then I remembered that Dream is my friend, and I shouldn't-" Tommy sobbed, and Techno drew him closer to his chest.

"It's okay." Techno's voice was rough from yelling, and he was unable to keep the shakiness out as he held his little brother close. "It's all good. Dream's not here anymore, and I can keep you safe."

Tommy sobbed louder, and Techno once again fell silent. He felt his own silent cries push against his chest, and he slowly sank to his knees, bringing Tommy down with him.

After a long time, they untangled, and Tommy slid away enough to no longer be smothered by the larger man, but Techno kept one arm wrapped securely around the boy.

Tommy sighed, looking out over the ocean. "I thought I was getting better."

"You are," Techno reassured, starting to brush the sand and dirt out of Tommy's hair. "But recovery isn't always a straight line. Sometimes you have bad days, like today. But as time goes on, they'll happen less and less, and one day. One day, Tommy, you'll be able to stand up proud against Dream. And on the days that it is bad, you won't be alone anymore. I'll be here, and so will Phil. And so will- So will Ghostbur."

Tommy chuckled sadly. "I don't think Ghostbur'll be much help. I don't think his blue works for the rest of us."

"Maybe not. But he can still hold you."

Tommy didn't respond, staring sadly out at the rising sun. Techno let him have his silence.

"Thank you," the boy said finally, and Techno smiled. Maybe he could save one brother after all.

**Author's Note:**

> i can't believe i speedwrote this and tommy still managed to build a new tower before i posted it smh


End file.
